Fashion designer John Galliano has withdrawn from a planned Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute exhibition dedicated to his work, prompting the museum to cancel the show and, with it, the accompanying 2027 Met Gala in its planned form. The move marks an unprecedented break with a 70-year tradition long overseen by Vogue's Anna Wintour, and raises questions about whether the episode could dent the authority of the 76-year-old editor, who has presided over the event for 31 years and wields significant influence at Condé Nast.

Galliano, the former Dior and Margiela creative director, announced his withdrawal on Instagram, saying he did not want the "debate" around him to distract from the Costume Institute's work or place the museum in a difficult position. The choice had proved contentious since being announced, owing to a 2011 incident in which Galliano, filmed while drunk in a Paris bar, directed racist and antisemitic abuse at fellow patrons; he was subsequently sacked by Dior. Despite years of apologies, including in a 2024 documentary, rising antisemitism has kept the episode in focus. Wintour backed his decision as "courageous," while the Met said details of a replacement exhibition and gala would be announced later; it is far from the first Met Gala controversy under Wintour, following earlier disputes involving designer Azzedina Alaia and reality star Kim Kardashian's high-profile appearances.